Artist . Teacher

Welcome

Tracey Stoll is a South African artist specializing in the fine art medium of Scratchboard, otherwise known as Scraperboard. She sells her work through exhibitions and her website and is available to contact for commissions.

The Technique of Scratchboard
Scratchboard consists of a support layer which has been coated with a smooth layer of white clay and airbrushed with a layer of black ink on top. The artist uses a sharp implement, such as the blade of a surgical scalpel, to scratch away the ink to expose the white layer of clay underneath. This white layer is either left white to create a dramatic black and white image or it can be coloured with inks or other pigments to create a coloured artwork with as many colours as the artist desires. Essentially, the artist ‘reveals’ the highlights in an image instead of working in the shadows as it normally done in other mediums. This technique allows incredible detail but, dependant on the size and amount of detail, can take anything from 50 to over a hundred hours to achieve!

About

Tracey Stoll was born in Harare, Zimbabwe but has lived most of her life at the southern tip of Africa, South Africa. She now lives in the most beautiful city, Cape Town, with her husband and two sons.

Tracey qualified as a Graphic Designer, she always loved art and dabbled in several art mediums. In 2013, she came across Scratchboard artwork for the first time, in the drawing book series, Strokes of Genius. Her attention to detail and patience suited the medium of Scratchboard.

The subject matter Tracey is attracted to are botanicals, portraits and animals. She is drawn to the beauty and detail of botanicals and strives to capture the character and personality of the people and animals she depicts in her art. She is particularly fascinated with eyes and their ability to tell a person’s story.

Tracey is an active member of ISSA (International Society of Scratchboard Artists) as well as being a member of two South African local art societies, namely CAS (Constantiaberg Art Society) and SASA (South African Society of Artists), which both exhibit in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town.

She has been commended by fellow artists on Scratchboard work previously submitted in Cape Town and her work was exhibited at the Annual Exhibition for the International Society of Scratchboard Artists 2017, where she was awarded an Award of Excellence for her Cape Protea.

She recently entered the Online Nature Exhibition and received an Honorable mention for her Owl Eyes under the Painting Category and a Special Merit award for her African Queen.

Tracey teaches art workshops to children and adults when her time allows, with an emphasis on developing classical drawing skills and promoting the love of both drawing and Scratchboard as art mediums.

“I look forward to further developing my skills in this beautiful art medium, as well as introducing others to the technique in South Africa.”

Tracey has been featured in the South African Artist Magazine Issue 29 as well as The Muse, a local magazine for the Pinelands area in Cape Town where she lives.